Matthijs de Ligt is a centre-back with impressive physical attributes. During his time at Ajax's academy, he played both as a defender and midfielder. However, most of his football idols are forwards. After stints at Juventus and FC Bayern Munich, the 26-year-old defender joined Manchester United, having already played for four of Europe's top clubs during his career. He has also played alongside several world-class strikers. Matthijs de Ligt revealed in an interview on Manchester United's television program "Idols" that Cristiano Ronaldo is his first idol, and Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane are also role models for him.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Matthijs de Ligt's admiration for Portugal's all-time leading goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo began in childhood, when he watched Ronaldo wear a Manchester United shirt and win the Premier League and Champions League in the 2007/08 season with the club.

"I was about seven or eight years old when Manchester United won the Champions League," the centre-back said. "At that time, Cristiano Ronaldo was undoubtedly one of the world's best players.

Everyone tried to imitate his playing style.

So he was one of my first idols."

Eventually, the two played together, but not at Manchester United as de Ligt had dreamed. Instead, it was at Italian giants Juventus.

Their first match together was a 3-2 victory for Juventus over Napoli in August 2019. Since then, they have played together 67 times. Matthijs de Ligt even provided an assist for his idol in a Serie A match against Bologna, helping Cristiano Ronaldo score.

Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen, the former Manchester United midfielder, like Matthijs de Ligt, came from Ajax's renowned academy, and their career paths have been remarkably similar.

The age difference meant the two never played together in Ajax's senior team: Eriksen left the club three years before de Ligt made his senior debut. However, de Ligt has always considered the Danish midfielder a mentor throughout his career.

"I also played as a midfielder during my time at the academy, and Christian Eriksen played in the same position," said Matthijs de Ligt, who wears number 4. "So at that time, he was a role model I greatly admired.

When he first became famous, everyone recognized him as a rare talent in the team for many years, and I naturally studied his playing style.

You see yourself in him, and it was truly impressive to see him succeed step by step at his current level."

De Ligt's career came full circle when the two reunited at Manchester United, playing together 23 times in the 2024/25 season.

"I never thought I would actually play alongside him later," de Ligt continued. "Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Christian Eriksen was one of my most important idols when I was young."

Harry Kane

It would be difficult to draw an immediate connection between Harry Kane, England's captain, and Matthijs de Ligt in terms of either career path or playing style.

However, the two spent one season together at FC Bayern Munich, Kane's first season in the Bundesliga. Their brief time together left an unforgettable impression on the Dutch defender.

Speaking about Harry Kane, the captain of the Three Lions, Matthijs de Ligt said: "He impressed me greatly.

His training mentality, individual ability, and consistently high goal-scoring efficiency are all impeccable.

Every time Harry scores, he has a clear idea of what he will do and controls his shooting angles with precision, whether with his left foot, right foot, or head. Not to mention his excellent organizational and supporting abilities, which are equally impressive.

He is an almost perfect complete centre-forward in every aspect. I had never seen a forward with such comprehensive abilities before."

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